Do You Remember?
by Keiyou
Summary: EdWin Alternate Universe romance story. takes place when Ed is still looking for cure. Winry questions their relationship as friends and wonders if they could take it a step further. Ch. 4 up and ready! decaffinated citrus warning!
1. Discovering

Keiyou-I have seen hide nor hair of the internet for the longest time. Coming back after so long I became aware that most of the conversation in the second chapter went missing, which I assume left a lot of readers leave scratching their heads. So with battered pride and new hope; I re-edited the content within and decided to post it again.

So take the full benefit of enjoying the re-made version! I hope it's worth reading.

Disclaimer- Ah, yeah… I have yet to figure out how to go about twisting my way around the brains of Fullmetal alchemist's original creators from both the manga and the anime so that they will agree it belongs to me.

So, for the record, I DON'T OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST!

**Preemie**** warning: chapters four and five**** may or may ****NOT contain the lemon I had planned to add in the story, so don't expect there to be anything hard-core (just in case)**

**Do You Remember?**

**Ch.1, Epilogue**

"Ouch!"

Winry Rockbell grimaced in pain as she bent to palm her bare foot after she had walked into a large wooden chest inside the basement of her home, where she had been given an exhausting assignment via her grandmother; Pinako Rockbell, to clear a space in the room so the automail parts her grandmother planned to pick up in town had someplace to go.

Although Winry hadn't planned on doing anything too important; the task was keeping her away from 'certain company' that she hadn't seen in quite some time and wondered curiously about what it was they had decided to do while she worked when the cause of discomfort had erupted in the form of an open wood box. She felt somewhat resentful that neither offered to help her as she shot daggers at the box for being in her way. The box held within it heaps of old articles of clothing and a few faded books that sat on them.

"Damn that smarts, she murmured soothing the hurt. After declaring it wasn't too bad of an injury she got up off the floor, not expecting that a real glance at the contents of the box would steer her to forget about the chore.

Not surprising. The words 'Rockbell Album, 1874' labeled on one of the books had that effect on her, so she let curiosity take over and picked up the book, sat down on an old dusty loveseat in front of a window and opened it.

The pages of the book were quite yellow around the edges, obviously because it hadn't been opened in a while. The inside was white like it never understood the concepts of aging. This included the photographs.Winry was quite surprised; her grandmother looked sturdy built and braced with a steely confidence that almost resembled herself. Years later that will was still visible but it was quite the physical contrast with how her grandmother looked now.

"_I'd like to see Ed's face if he ever saw this_..." she thought chuckling as the idea of the intimidating Pinako from the picture approaching a comically cowering Edward Elric surfaced in her mind.

She paged through a few more sections of the album; Winry noticed how strange it was finding this book of memories downstairs. Usually her Grandmother had no trouble sifting through her old albums she kept upstairs, so why was this here?

Catching two boys in some photos she didn't recognize, dawning realization hit her. She assumed them to be her late uncles because they had Rockbell features. Then some with a younger third child that looked absolutely like a less mature version of her father. Seeing him in them tore a bit at her heart. It was no wonder this book was left unopened, Winry figured it hurt her grandmother too much knowing that those kids in the album had grown up just to go before she did.

Stifling small of tears that perched dangerously at the edges of her eyes, she decided she would close the book. As she tried, one of the pages flipped over revealing a large photo that took up half the space on it. I was another with her father in it, but unlike the others; this one had a young girl in it on a swing.

"Who's that?" Winry mumbled softly. The smiling face looked almost familiar, but because of the child like features she didn't quite know who it was. The girl's hair was short milky brown that curled at a wisp on the bottom and her eyes were a brilliant blue that stood out in the old fashion summer dress she wore. Her father in the picture had a bright cherry smile as he stood next to her.

Too curious at the pair; Winry removed the photo from inside the plastic casing and read the back of the picture in hopes it would shed some light on who this mystery girl was.

It should have been obvious, but the results still gave Winry quite a stir. Her blue irises glossed over the writing on the back of the photo as she realized who the girl was.

_T__h__om__as__ Rockbell and Julia Foster, ages 14 and 13, June 14, 1884.__'Mother...'_She didn't stop the snake of tears that slithered down after fighting them.

"Wow, that's pretty neat."

Winry had been down in the basement alone for quite some time. She'd grown use to having only her voice in the room, so she jumped when this new one arrived. It was a voice that would seem like warm honey had it not also carried the quirk of a cocky attitude with it.

She wiped the tears from her eyes and turned to look up at a young man she knew was her age although a stranger would assume him to be younger than seventeen as his height only reached 166 centimeters. Other than that bit of drawback he was quite good looking, with long golden blond hair he kept secured in a braid most of the time, and shocking amber eyes that resembled his locks. The only key difference about him today was instead of his usual 'I wear a red coat with black clothes and nothing complicated' style; he chose to wear a dark blue sleeveless shirt and sported his white shorts.

Like she could blame him, even in late winter the heat was a bitch in Rizembool. She was surprised how well she tolerated wearing a tee shirt with her khaki pants instead of her tube top.

"Oh! Hi, Ed" She said drawing her mind away from what they were wearing, putting the photo back in its place.

She decided maybe it was good she wore the tee. The thought of Edward's sudden appearance seemed to give her weird chills.

"Did you know your parents were childhood friends?" He asked her as he stood next to where she sat.

"I actually had no idea," Winry admitted "Granny never said anything about them knowing each other when they were kids."

"Ah, speaking of Old Lady, Pinako."

Winry elbowed him slightly.

"Fine, Granny Pinako." He said correcting himself "Where is she? I wanted to know if the upgrades were finished on my leg yet." He tapped at the replacement automail leg he used last time he visited in a gesture about his usual one.

Winry gave him a look that read of ignorance on Edward's part.

"Weren't you listening when she said she was going to town for that automail shipment earlier?"

Edward palmed the back of his head as he thought self consciously about the bowl of cereal he'd been too busy stuffing his face with while only catching snippets of conversation at breakfast.

"I... guess not." He answered, and then positioned his hand back down when he noticed Winry had began chuckling to her self.

In the galley of Winry's thoughts she realized that the last time she went to Rush Valley she had met a man named Dominic that had known Pinako... she wondered how the man would fare if he ever seen her grandmother there.

"What's so funny?" Edward asked, cutting in on her humorous thoughts.

"It's nothing important." She said catching breath she lost from laughing "I just remembered something from when we went to Rush Valley."

"Oh?" He suddenly got a curious look in his eyes. Allot had gone on during that escapade to the automail Utopia, and Edward deemed it to know what was so funny about that.

"Tell me about it," he asked moving forward to sit next to her. "I got all day. Al left to visit mom's grave this time; so let's hear it."


	2. Admiting

Disclaimer- Ah, yeah… I have yet to figure out how to go about twisting my way around the brains of Fullmetal alchemist's original creators from both the manga and the anime so that they will agree it belongs to me.

So, for the record, I DON'T OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST!

**Preemie warning: the lemon bit is still debatable. I ****one except the old computer tower I saved it on decided it wanted to die. **

**Never again will I save a story without first loading it onto a backup CD…**** TT.TT**

**Do You Remember?**

**Ch. 2, Admittance.**

The sun outside had sailed in the sky, going from the east toward west, leaving mid morning to mid afternoon. Inside the Rockbell estate, if one listened close enough, they could make out echoes of laughter from the lowermost part of the house, where inside Winry and Edward had steadily went from talking about Rush Valley to some events from their childhood that took place by a river.

"I didn't think he would really get in the barrel!" Edward said wiping a tear of laughter from his eye.

"Poor Al. I can't remember; who pushed the barrel down?" she asked still giggling a bit.

"Oh, I think that was Nellie."

"Funny..." Winry said with a playful glare "I didn't know Nellie's hair was blond then..."

"Ah..." Edward groaned "Alright that was me."

"Yeah, I thought so," she said giving Edward a playful shove "At least he got his revenge though."

"Yeah... I couldn't believe he pulled me in the river after I tried helping him out."

Winry suddenly simpered mischievously.

"Perhaps only because I might have hinted him to..."

Edward looked at her with a shock of surprise at this new information "You told him to do that?" He gasped. "You were evil back then!"

"Like you were so innocent…" she said, "I remember when you and Al decided to hold my dolls hostage in your Tree fort," she halted "Or should I say; your tree 'board."

Edward shifted uneasy as he though about the board he had nailed to the tree in his yard when he was younger. Although it was only a single board on two branches, it seemed at the time his greatest accomplishment. Of course, because of certain events and all he's done since then; he's felt pretty **Un**accomplished...

Because...

"Hey," she said tapping a forefinger on his skull "Are you awake in there, Shorty?"

Edward choked "Shorty!!!" he glared **"Who are you calling ****someone smaller than the sleep specks in someone's eyes?!"**

Winry drew back, looking at him in annoyance, pretty sure that those were words she didn't say at all.

"Edward… are you daft? I never said any of that."

"Who's daft?" He snapped, still sore about her 'short' comment. "You're more flighty than birds going south for winter!"

The gravity cracked around Winry and she swiped at Edward. "How dare you!"

"Hey!" Edward said dodging the punch "You're going to get it you keep that up!"

"Oh?" Winry gasped in a mock startle "You want to fight? Wee-man!"

Edward's eyebrows arched downward and a vein mark labeled his brow.

"That's it!" He got up off the sofa and stood in stance "No one gets away with pulling short-jokes on me, not even women! You're going down!"

Winry followed in suit and took a stance of her own; fists bunched up and held out.

"Bring it on, Fullmetal Pansy!"

One by one they went at throwing insults at one another, their battle of wits raging as they threw only half hearted punches at one another, until they reached away from the window toward the back of the dimly lit basement. By this time, however, they were bickering so much that neither one noticed.

"Who's winning now?" Winry laughed as Edward backed away from another of her throws. "Who's in charge, Alchemy Dork?"

Ed scoffed, as he got ready to angle his footing. "That's it, Machine Junky! Now you've asked for------!!!"

What it was Winry had asked for? She never did find out, at that moment the angle Edward had tried putting himself in was disturbed by a fur skinned rug under him and the contrast had him cascading to his back with a muffled _thunk_.

"Ed!" Winry gasped as all battle thoughts slipped her mind. She rushed over to him.

"Are you alright?"

Besides a slight ache where he hit the back of his head, he felt fine, so he nodded.

"Here, let me help you up." She said holding her hand out to him.

Edward looked at her hand, for a split second getting chills _'is it cold in here?'_ He wondered before taking her offered hand.

Then he grinned in his toothy scheming expression before Winry suddenly found herself facedown on the floor to his left, the fur of the rug coated the face-plant but a small ache still lingered on her forehead.

"EDWARD ELRIC!" she screeched fixing him with a look of scorn as he laughed at her expense.

"You ass, that was a dirty trick!"

"Just think of it as vengeance for the short joke." Edward said with a confident tone like he'd won the argument. "Besides, I told you that you were flighty."

"Damn you!!!" She growled, and then noticed Edward's laugh had gone from devilish to a more regular tone.

"Look at us," he giggled "Were acting like idiots over this."

Winry thought about this for a moment. Realizing that they did look ridiculous, she laughed along with him.

After a few minutes of mocking their own actions, they stopped laughing to catch their breath. Without one another's voices, the basement seemed eerily quiet save the early spring wind blowing at the screen on the window.

"Say, Ed."

"Hmm?" Edward hummed, turning to look at Winry; she turned herself and sat up. When she looked at him he noticed the seriousness on her face, and he became curious.

"Do you really plan on leaving tomorrow?" she asked him.

Edward had been afraid this would get brought up. He breathed in before letting out a heavy sigh. "Yeah, I need to; Al and me both." He sat up. "Were still searching, you know."

"Yes, I know... but," she said, blinking mist out of her eyes, there was no way in hell she was going to cry, not now anyway. "Why can't you and Al take a break?" she asked, even though she could guess what the answer would be.

"You know we can't" Edward said looking away; he didn't want to see her cry. He never enjoyed it. He often wished for a way to make her stop, but in reality; there was no alchemic code to fix a broken heart.

"Getting Alphonse back to normal is way too much a priority, I can't afford leisure breaks."

Winry watched him turn his head away, even after so long she knew he was trying to avoid eye contact because he was never good with keeping a straight face with emotional situations.

She wished he would look at her though, because the next thing she wanted to ask him would probably jeopardize their friendship forever, and if that happened; she wanted to remember how kindly his eyes would glow when he looked at her.

She breathed out softly and mentally crossed her fingers; it was now or never...

She just hoped he would feel the same way.

"Edward, what do you think about me?"

His head suddenly snapped back toward her, eyes wide and questioning.

"Is he blushing?" Winry thought, before the color disappeared. Letting herself assume it was only a trick of the sunlight through the window, she waited patiently while Edward seemed to be fiddling around for words.

"Wh-what do you mean?" He asked her, blinking a little more than usual. In a sense; he knew what she meant, at least he hoped it wasn't what she meant. He tried as hard as he could to avoid hurting Winry ever since they were kidnapped four years ago. He could still remember the fear in her eyes and tears that littered her features. He'd came to the conclusion then that getting anyone involved in his affairs even if he was unaware that they somehow tried to, he had to do whatever it took to push them away, so they wouldn't get hurt.

Especially _Winry._

He didn't admit it then; but while he made Al the promise to get his body back no matter the cost; he couldn't bring himself to speak fully to Winry because of how weak he'd been during that time, he'd been so scared at the thought of their being killed, that he couldn't apologize properly.

Nor admit ever since that Winry had become something more to him than just a friend.

This was why he hoped deeply she wasn't asking that because he didn't want the responsibility of hurting her again.

"I mean..." Winry continued on not thinking much about the distant look in Edward's irises.

"What do you think about..." she moved her hand to rest it on his forearm gently, "Us."

Edward looked toward the ground in anguish, she _was_ asking about them, "_Dammit__! I thought I avoided this sort of confrontation! I'm only going to hurt her, __Dammit!"_

Winry felt his arm tense up as he silently argued with himself and mistook it for something she did wrong.

"I mean-that is-" she stumbled for words and looked away while moving her hand off his arm. "I'm sorry, n-never mind."

He quickly removed his scowl, realizing he must have looked angry he scolded himself mentally for making her think he was mad. Edward decided he should ask what it was she meant, except when he asked, she continued ignoring him, looking away as if she were suddenly quite more interested in the collective dust in the corner of the basement than in the fact that he was there.

"Dammit, Winry!" Edward snapped and nudged her shoulder with his left hand in a hopeful attempt to make her at least look at him "Answer me-----!!!"

Edward swore time had slowed down. What else could he say to describe it? Only a few moments ago; he took in Winry's features as he seen them in his youth, Blond hair, blue eyes and childish face that somehow completed the look you'd find in a Rockbell.

So why now did his plutonic views suddenly take notice of how well the light from the small window bounced off her Buttercup yellow hair just right enough to make her blue irises become oceanic while her flushed face seemed to chisel so that she looked more desirable instead of youthful.

Words had decided to fail the Fullmetal Alchemists vocabulary, leaving him only one word to decipher how she looked to him

_Beautiful._

Winry had been averting her eyes in an effort to keep Edward from noticing that her tears were threatening to emerge once again. After she had decided she had them under control did she work the nerve to look back at him, except he'd chosen that moment to palm her shoulder as hot red tinges crept around her face.

_"Great, first the tears, now I look like__a tomato face, why the hell __did he have__ to-!!!"_

Winry lost her train of thought as she looked at the boy-no, _Stranger_ sitting next to her. What happened to Edward? Only a few seconds ago he was the usual stubborn faced flaxen-headed kid she'd befriended in her youth.

What was next to her now was a handsome young man with golden plaited hair and bangs that cascaded like waterfalls over piercing honey colored irises, his face held in a sort of calming shock like he seen something amazing, whatever it was it made his face tinge the slightest pink, while inviting lips were held in a sort of flat O shape.

Winry momentarily lost her sense of using proper text to describe how he looked. Only one solid word formed in her mind.

_Beautiful._

Edward noticed he left his hand against her shoulder and pulled away quickly.

"Uh, sorry about that... I guess I should go back up…phone could ring or something," he murmured sheepishly. Without warning Winry took hold of Edward's idle hand, palm against the back of his hand.

Edward blinked at the sudden action. "Winry?" he questioned her.

"Ed, I-" she trailed off with her words. She looked at Edward's hand, tanned skin over a hand that held the build of someone who did extensive labor. While hers were work-worn too, it was masked by creamy skin that gave her hands a smooth appeal.

She didn't want to let go of the hand hers held, nor have the owner of that hand leave her side.

Not just yet...

"Ed." She began, using her other hand to brace herself as she leaned slightly forward. "I know I get on your case sometimes.

And there's times that I can't stand being around you because you won't let me in, in your world, won't let me know what's on your mind, won't even stay in the same room when I ask you...But despite it all...Ed I wanted to say- that is- I"

She trailed off as her voice tried to pry past the shudders of newborn tears wanting to see the world. And they did so, masking Winry's vision of her childhood friend in a cloudy haze.

"I- Dammit it's too hard to- P, Please don't leave now- I'm trying to say-I wanted to tell you t-that I-." she cut off her speech, shutting her eyes as the tears fell. The hand she held pulled away and she inwardly kicked herself for getting so emotional, the tears she worked hard to get rid of earlier now back in full force. This sort of thing would now surely make him leave the room she believed.

So Winry was shocked when the sudden movement in front of her made her feel a blanket of warmth from someone very close to her, and she opened her eyes to see Edward, hugging her closely, using his flesh hand to wipe away the tears that clung to her face.

The action made her blush quite violently.

Edward too was shocked by his actions, but something else was overpowering his embarrassment. Winry's words... they felt… soothing to him somehow. The feeling that always made him want to avoid having anyone involved with what goes on in his daily life had ebbed to wanting to care only about here and now as he looked into Winry's eyes. The eyes he could see were so full of care about him that it almost made him lose control over his own emotions. Edward had spent that whole moment trying to figure out why Winry had asked him that question earlier, despite the times he purposely made her hate him in order to keep her ignorant.

He knew now what it was, because right there in her eyes laid all the proof he would ever need.

Damn, how could he have missed it?

"Win..." he said using her childhood nickname; one she would have earlier yelled at him for using.

He continued "I, I understand."

He could never guess what Winry was truly thinking; but the flash in her eyes and the blush on her face made it obvious that she realized she got the answer she wanted from Edward this time.

He blushed as the words he formed fell from his lips. "I like you too."

With the pull of embarrassment no longer gaining the upper hand in Edward's mind, he leaned forward, hesitating somewhat to see if she stayed still before planting a soft and warm kiss on her lips.

Time seemed to slow to almost a recordless calm while picking up speed in the form of fire storming heartbeats from both bodies. It turned the room temperature at an intense yet somewhat enjoyable hundred-degree increase.

Edward hugged Winry tighter to him as they locked lips. Winry taking hold of Edward's back, feeling the lines of his shoulder blades, making good on taking her time to feel the shaped form of someone whom she usually only put her hands on when it was for fixing the arm she grafted for him.

Sure, she was a mech lover, and to her nothing was more perfect than the shape and quality of automail.

To her now though, Edward was the REAL _perfection._

Suddenly a sharp and deep voice crossed her mind. It was so out of the blue she almost went into panic when it formed in her thoughts.

_"He's being awfully unusual…_

Winry tried to force the thought away by sliding a hand under the back of Edward's shirt and kiss him a little harder. She didn't want to think about doubt right now, doubt would ruin everything.

_"So totally not like him at all…"_

Stop it!

The voice of doubt refused to stay silent

_"Maybe you warped him somehow… like maybe __your__ brainwashing him!" _

That did it, like lightning Winry broke away from Edward's lips, backing off somewhat, a look of pure shock etched in her face

_"What have I done? This isn't like Edward at all! He would never act like this! What have I-"_

At first it was hurt shock, then without warning, a look of scorn. Edward shot up off the floor. He walked away from her to the basement door, opening it.

"I'm sorry." He said, sounding broken but non-the less holding that stubborn will of Elric he honed so well. "Sorry. I didn't mean to act like that. I'm going to get Al. We'll leave tonight." he stepped out the door, stopped, then hesitated before turning his head. "Listen, I think it would be better if I stayed at a hotel in town. Just tell Al that when he gets back. Tomorrow I'll have Al pay for the leg for the leg and we'll leave."

Without another word, he continued out.

Winry sat in the silence with her mind bellowing and jumping in dozens of directions, going from wanting to stop Edward from leaving to throwing things to screaming at the top of her lungs.

She did none of these things. Just let the emotion well up without rebellion.

As Edward ascended the stairs to the living room, he locked his gaze at the floor, watching beyond what his vision displayed for him. His mind raced as the images flew in his mind. He couldn't believe he almost- what if Winry hadn't backed away? Would he still-

Edward felt the pangs of hurt drown in his chest as he went through the kitchen, grabbed his coat off of the rack and walked out the front door. Not bothering to make his pain noticeable by slamming the door childishly.

Instead, eyebrows arched, he smiled pitifully.

**The sun settled fully into twilight as both teenagers cried silently.**


	3. Deciding

**Preemie Warning- I decided that Ch. 5 will be posted on AFF so go there if your an adult and can read material like that.**

_**Now presenting**_

**_Ch. 3, Deciding._**

_Wait_

_Don't go…_

_Please_

_I'm sorry…_

_STOP!_

Winry opened her tear streaked eyes, at first seeing only the blurry image of Edward walking away from her. She reached out in a feeble attempt to stop her childhood friend from leaving her forever like he had just told her.

Then a series of patters from outside the window brought the logic back into Winry's mind enough for her to realize it was the ceiling fan she had been reaching toward.

She turned to look at the window, finding splashes of water continually drenching the glass outside, and she turned her body in the opposite direction from the window and sighed deeply.

Then without warning her mind tripped into what happened that afternoon and her heart did a double take going from panic to ache.

The basement…

Their conversation…

_His kiss_

Winry felt her cheeks blush from the years of only imagining what the feel of Edward's lips on her own would be like. Her heart rapped as she recalled how soft and warm they had been and how she could almost taste them…

But then she remembered she pushed him away.

Mentally she abused herself for doing it because it hurt him. He didn't say it did, but the bite of it was plainly in his eyes when he left.

Winry sighed before inwardly declaring that there was no way she could sleep so she turned on her bedside lamp and willed herself from her warm blankets. As she got into her dresser to pick out an article of clothing she spied the calendar hanging crookedly on her wall.

February the second was crossed out on it; her alarm clock read 2:23.

"February third..." she murmured. That's right. Edward's birthday was on the third of February.

_'I forgot about that. What is he now? Eighteen?_'

She remembered in a few months she too would be turning eighteen.

_'Official adult hood…' _Winry thought, thinking about just what someone received on an age that declared you were no longer a child.

_'What could I possibly give to Edward?'_

Winry shook her head, trying to dispose of the thoughts of him as they were still making her heart ache something terrible and changed into her work clothes.

----

Awhile later found Winry idly sketching some technical drawings of an automail design she worked out in her mind. Without meaning to her thoughts went from doting the arm she was drawing to thoughts of others who benefited from her designs to Edward again.

At first it was nothing promoting pain but thoughts of what she might have to give him for his birthday when he got back to retrieve his leg. Then it declined to her remembering that hurt look he had when she pushed him away.

He must not have realized it was her thinking it was SHE herself that was in the wrong but took it as HE did something wrong.

In hindsight... it was almost wrong. Had she not backed away the kiss probably would have led to sex. Not that it would have but it was a possibility, as Edward didn't seem too cautious about what he was doing.

It was probably a guy thing.

Then again, she didn't think either.

A small part of Winry's mind did wonder what it would be like though… to be _that_ close to him. It was just at the time she was afraid she was pushing Edward into something and didn't want to hurt him.

"But... I did anyway."

Drips of wet puddles soon fell onto her sketches, splotching some areas on the sheet. Winry gripped her pencil tightly, trying to fight the waterfall.

_"I like you too."_

That did it. Those were Edward's words before he kissed her. That was why he looked so hurt when she backed off.

_'It was me that did the hurting this time.'_

She crumpled her spattered sheet, tossing it aside as the tears pored out.

"Damn you Elric!" she sobbed into her arms.

Awhile later the tears stopped coming. Winry lifted her head groggily to stare at the clock.

3:37

It was only a few hours into February third.

Winry blinked the fog that crowded her mind away. She had known Edward for years despite his brash decision to leave Risembool and half ignore her for six years of his existence. Deep inside she didn't care if somehow fate or chance or freewill put them together.

She just needed to know if Edward really wanted her or if she pushed him.

Without letting herself think, she got up from her chair, grabbing her jacket hanging on her bedpost and snuck out of her room. Quietly she made her way into the kitchen.

Grabbing a small sheet of paper and a pen, she quickly wrote down a note for Al and her grandmother to read when they got up in the morning.

_I left for town to go get more drill bits for my machine, I might be out awhile. Don't worry._

_P.s. Al, __could you feed Den for me?_

_Winry._

That done she sat the note on the table, slipped on her jacket and pulled the hood on it over her head before stepping out into the drizzling torrent

Town was a ways away; there was no guarantee she would get there before the sun came up over the hills of she walked to town.

Ignoring the lightning and thunder echoing in the distance, she began to run.

-----------

Edward Elric closed a book he was reading for what seemed like the tenth time in a row and dropped it to the floor. He didn't know why he even bothered; the electricity went out hours ago.

He knew why, because sleep refused to comfort his waking mind. A small part of this was his fault of course, since he wouldn't stop thinking about how close he came to once again hurting his best friend.

Edward sighed deeply. He could feel a piece of a more deviant part of his mind wanting to wrap around what it would be like if they had gone all the way, making him blush profoundly.

And hurt at the same time.

When Winry backed off he felt his heart tearing in a dozen places. He hadn't meant to scare her like that.

"But I did anyway, I always mess things up." He threw his left hand over his eyes in an attempt to pin down the feeling of regret creeping up on him. That same feeling that made his eyes display their own water works, which almost never happens with anything else that upset him.

So why did that effect him so much?

Just then a series of footsteps echoed from outside in the hall curiously fast before stopping in front of his door.

Edward quickly shot up in bed. He heard there were robberies going on within the smaller area in Risembool. He just didn't think it would happen so close to the center of the town.

He waited with still breathing. His heart shot to his throat as he watched his doorknob get turned.

_'Shit! I forgot to lock the door!'_

Edward jumped out of the bed, ready to lay it to whoever decided to pilfer his goods. He almost did a double take when his attacker came in looking like a wet frazzled version of someone he knew quite well.

The figure stumbled into the room and fell onto him, forcing him to take the person into his arms.

Then the cherry colored face of a young woman who had trouble breathing properly looked up into his face.

"The-the...Man...manager...said...you...were... in this...room." Winry Rockbell said before passing out.


	4. Confronting

Disclaim (for back chapter and this one)- Do I seem THAT intelligent?

**Preemie Warning- this chapter contains some suggestive material, and mentions moments from Episode 9 in the anime.Can't say I didn't warn you.**

**Do You Remember, Ch. 5, Confronting.**

Winry awoke, her eyes feeling too heavy to open. She had just finished dreaming about waking up early and deciding to run into town looking for her friend out in the rain. The dream had ended when she found him and ran into his open arms.

She opened her eyes to the ceiling, a feeling of familiarity creeping into her waking mind.

_'What an odd dream..._' She lazily thought, letting her head turn to her left...

To see Edward sitting cross-legged in a small armchair pulled up next to the bed, using his left arm as a perch to hold his sleeping head up.

Winry gasped in shock. 'I really DID run here!' She remembered.

Edward caught the faint gasp and opened his eyes to see that Winry had woken up.

"Um, Hi Ed." she said with small guilt in her voice.

"Hi." He said curtly.

After a few uneasy moments of silence, Winry decided to speak.

"How, how long was I out for?"

"About half an hour, I think." Edward remarked. Even though it seemed as if he was concerned about her safety because of where he was, his posture seemed withdrawn and cold. The obvious giveaway that he still hadn't forgotten the incident in the basement.

"Why did you come here?" he finally asked. "This seems like an out of the way place for you to be, all things considered."

Winry almost recoiled at the bite in Edward's words. She knew he was upset. They both were, except Edward didn't yet know Winry had been pissed off because of what _she herself _did.

For the sake of correcting her mistake, she couldn't afford to snap at him. He deserved to know the truth.

He needed to know everything.

She sighed deeply before she spoke. This wouldn't be easy.

"I- I wanted to apologize to you, Ed." Okay, it was a start.

She looked at him to see if he was listening before she continued. "I don't know what came over me. I didn't mean to throw myself at you like that.There was just so much... So much joy in me, it was almost like, like a dream come true."

Edward's features looked as if they perked up somewhat in curiosity.

Not enough though...

Winry sat up in the bed. She would need the leverage for what she planned to spill. This was something she had kept to herself for years. Not even Edward was aware of it.

"Ed. Do you remember when I got kidnapped?"

The corners of Edward's mouth drew down and his eyebrows rose in question.

Winry looked down at the floor, clenching the bed sheet with her right hand before continuing. "I remember it clearly. That man who looked like a woman said the most horrible things to me, saying things like I was no different than the pigs he'd slaughtered. "

Edward moved like he was going to comfort her but she held up her hand to stop him.

"I'm not saying it bothers me so much now. It's just that; at the time I was so scared. I seriously thought I was going to die that day. But then..."

She looked up to stare Edward in the eyes; his golden orbs were locked onto her cobalt ones like glue.

"Then I heard your voice, and seen you tied to that chair. Your arm was gone.I couldn't believe you were there, couldn't understand why you were.The only thing I could feel was fear. I was more afraid for you than I was for me. In fact; I hated myself!"

To Winry's surprise, her tears had decided not to burden her this time. Edward had gone from his couch to sitting next to her on the bed.

He looked at her, his eyes devoid of the animosity garnished from earlier.

"What do you mean you hated yourself?" Edward asked like he couldn't believe she said that

"I only went to Central so I could congratulate you on getting the state alchemist title, and instead I got into trouble, and got you involved in it. But you were making an effort to at lest try to save us while I couldn't do anything but hang on that hook uselessly. I felt even more pathetic when the military came in, sure I was relieved, but I couldn't take my eyes off of you. You looked so shattered. And I knew you wouldn't be had I not been so foolish from the beginning."

She looked at the floor again.

"I listened to when you were talking to Alphonse. And I didn't agree with what you said to him."

Edward blinked, the dryness in the air reminding him that he had forgotten to.

"You said you were tiny and insignificant. How could someone insignificant take the effort you took trying to save me? You weren't anything like that at all, in fact; that same day I-"

Winry reached the end of her explanation, now timid about how she planned to tell him about how long it was that she had feelings for him.

"I d-developed feelings for you that day, Ed." There, she said it.

Edward slightly gripped his knees; a pink tinge crept over his cheeks. This was years ago Winry was talking about... Just how long was it that she thought of him that way? He'd thought that it was only recently or something; like the last time he showed up.

But for _six_ years!

_Just like he did..._

"After I left Central there were times that I would catch myself wondering what it would be like had you stayed home... what it would be like if-"

"If what?" Edward asked softly. He flinched slightly when he noticed new tears had formed in Winry's eyes.

Edward somehow knew what it was she was going to say, but Winry was seriously pushing herself to admit things she obviously kept to herself for six years.

How could someone hold a love never returned for that long? It was almost like an unfair equivalent exchange in Edward's mind.

One giving the love while the other never acknowledges...

And he knew perfectly well who the latter here was.

It was high time he made good on the exchange.

"I would always wonder what it would be like if we-" Winry was stopped by a warm hand blocking her mouth, cutting off her speech.

"Winry, don't." Edward said softly, taking his hand away.

"If what you're trying to tell me is upsetting you, you don't have to talk. I understand."

Winry's shoulders shook, and she fell toward Edward, taking him into her arms. "I'm sorry I pushed you away in the basement, Ed." She sobbed on his shoulder. "I-I was afraid I was making you do something you didn't want to do. You weren't acting like you usually do-"

"You mean being stubborn and pig-headed, right?"

Winry lifted her head and looked up at Edward. Just like in the basement his honey-golden eyes glistened warmly. He wrapped both arms around her waist.

"I, I have a confession to make too." Edward said, his eyes trained on Winry, whose features read of confusion. "Do you remember when we all went shopping in Central the day after- that thing?"

Winry nodded, not quite getting where he was going with this.

"Remember I said you could have anything you wanted?" Edward waited for the nod before he answered, a blush creeping over his face. "Well, that day; I'd kind of hoped, like maybe you would have wanted... me."

A staccato suddenly wound its way around Winry's heart. _Did this mean that he..._

"Winry," He continued "If you already know how stubborn I can be, then you know that I would never be pushed into something I don't want to do."

Dawning realization crossed over Winry's face before Edward allowed himself to start over what he'd begun by placing his lips on hers again.

Winry moved her right arm from behind him, looping it around his neck, holding the kiss. Her small movement being the guarantee that this time, she refused to back away.

Edward accepted Winry's encouraging movement by leaning forward, backing her slim frame onto the mattress, moving his flesh hand up her arm and past her neck, making her shudder slightly as he stroked the side of her jaw with his thumb.

More on instinct than original thought Winry moved both her legs onto the bed, one knee wrapping over Edward's thigh, forcing him to move up onto the bed with her.

Without meaning to, as he moved with her the tip of his tongue shot out between his lips, wanting to soothe the dry feeling and hit the line of Winry's lips. She jumped. Edward lifted his head up with an apologetic look.

Winry smiled, slowly wrapped her other arm around him, and lifted her head up and, blushing cherry, used her own tongue to salve his lips.

Edward's gaze became lush filled and he moved back down to reclaim her lips. This time he let his tongue slide out to taste the feel of her lips, which were soon replaced by her tongue. Edward held onto the back of Winry's head, both their lips touched one another while their tongues waltzed heavily together, exploring and testing. Theirs was a dance only amateurs could understand, both learning only by teaching one another.

_Slow and graceful._

After awhile both mouths separated, taking in great heaves of air. Edward took in his surroundings and blushed, just realizing that during their kissing dance he had moved fully onto the bed, kneeling right over Winry, straddling her hips. He could feel an immense heat surge where he was positioned, and it made his insides catch fire.

Winry took notice of Edward's jewel red face when he looked at where he was. Letting a deviant thought cross her mind and act on it, she arched her hips upward, making sure she hit a most vital area.

A small noise escaped Edward's lips. He looked into Winry's eyes, trying his best to hold a serious regard even though his red face made him look moonstruck.

"Win..." He whispered. "You're sure... Is this what you want?" He leaned down to look her strait in the eyes, his flesh hand cupping her face tenderly. "... Am I really what you want?"

Winry, letting her hands trail down his back, smiled with blush. She moved up close to his face where their lips barely touched. "I've wanted nothing but you." She said, being the one to claim his lips this time.


End file.
